Sailing on a 16th-century warship comes to life at Mary Rose Museum

Jamie Portman, Ottawa Citizen07.14.2014

A visitor at The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, England. photographs a 1:80 scale model of the Tudor warship for sale in the museum shop for $525. The Mary Rose was a warship of the Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. She sank in 1545 during an invasion by the French fleet. The wreck was rediscovered in 1971 and salvaged in 1982.Peter Macdiarmid, Getty Images
/ Ottawa Citizen

The Mary Rose Museum houses the 16th-century warship and some of the 19,000 artifacts that sank with it.Dan Kitwood, Getty Images
/ Ottawa Citizen

Related

I'm inspecting the contents of a gentleman's chest. It has survived nearly five centuries buried in the silt of the English Channel. And yes, I feel like I'm in a time warp.

There are a pair of shoes neatly placed together, the remains of several different woollen garments and a pear-shaped leather drinking flask that has its cork and the remains of the strap from which it would hang. The jewelry includes a silver ring with a stone setting. There's also a cowrie shell. In the 16th century, it was currency on the east coast of Africa and the even more distant islands of the Pacific. So what was it doing on the Mary Rose when Henry VIII's formidable warship sank on July 19, 1545?

The presence of that shell is but one mystery you encounter in the extraordinary new Mary Rose Museum in the south of England. Even more tantalizing is the riddle of why the great vessel, which had been in service for 34 years, went under. It happened in full view of the king while leading the attack on a French invasion fleet during the battle of The Solent.

Theories abound: the Mary Rose was carrying too much weight; it had been thrown over by a heavy gust of wind while changing course.

"They are drowned like ratten," Henry commented glumly as he watched his most treasured warship vanish in the waves.

Some of the dead - along with much of the ship - have returned to haunt us. They exist in an eerie half-life after resting undisturbed for more than 400 years in The Solent silt.

In a glass case is the skeleton of the vessel's master carpenter: thanks to the miracle of 21st century forensics, we know he had rotting teeth, an abscess in his lower jaw that forced him to chew on one side, and he suffered from spinal arthritis.

He and other occupants of this doomed vessel wouldn't be available to us now - along with awesome forensic reconstructions of their facial features - had not the Mary Rose been finally raised from its watery grave three decades ago.

That rescue operation was a miracle. But it didn't prepare archeologists and historians for the treasure that emerged with it. Nor, at the time, were they were able to envisage a museum in which the vast oak hull of the Mary Rose, in all its battered glory, could play such a majestic role.

"The Mary Rose is the English Pompeii, preserved by water, not fire," historian David Starkey said after visiting the museum last year.

"All Tudor life is there; it's like stepping inside a Holbein painting."

Raising of the wreckage between 1979 and 1982 was the largest maritime archeological excavation. The result is the world's most significant collection of Tudor artifacts.

The Mary Rose Museum has a Canadian connection, with financial support from the Garfield Weston Foundation. It's fittingly located in the astonishing Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which is still a working facility for the Royal Navy while also inviting visitors to celebrate 800 years of naval history.

The museum is tucked behind Nelson's famous flagship, Victory. Its sudden emergence through the mist reveals a ghostly cocoon that makes its own dramatic statement even before you join the lineup for the next timed entrance.

"It is architecturally striking, isn't it?" says dockyard press officer Holly Westwood. "You can see they've put some portholes in, as well, so they've really tried to emulate the shape. It took a lot of time to build, and when you'll go inside you really appreciate it - when you see the ship on one side and the artifacts on the other."

Among the many glories, the crowning one occurs down a long corridor where you find the past beckoning with every step.

Conservation was the priority when the hull of the Mary Rose first emerged from the water. It had been preserved for centuries by mud; once out of the mud, it had to be protected from the modern world. Spraying its oaken timbers with fresh water and a water-soluble polymer were key to its continuing survival. The process continued for years, and even now with the breathtaking starboard half of the ship fully visible from this windowed corridor, it continues - for the time being - to be sealed offin a "hotbox."

Along this 50-metre stretch, we experience the power of this relic of Tudor glory. We're passing along the equivalent of the middle deck here, with the port side a showcase of priceless artifacts as they might have been positioned minutes before the ship sank. The dim lighting is intentional - bringing further immediacy to the rusting remains of a wheeled cannon, a gnarled ship's chest, cannon balls large and small, huge coils of rope resting ominously above us. They "glow in their cases, like gems on dark velvet," the Telegraph newspaper wrote last year. It's all real, although Perspex is occasionally used to outline a missing portion of an artifact.

As we move away from the battered hull of the only 16th-century warship on display anywhere, and explore the museum's other galleries, that sense of immediacy remains palpable.

Those who lived and died on the Mary Rose are never reduced to museum specimens. You find a very real humanity and poignancy in the nit combs, some with bits of 500-year-old lice in the teeth; in the 10 musical instruments that were recovered; in the rosary beads and a calfskin leather book cover; in a huge cauldron that sits under the remnants of a brick fireplace.

From a surgeon's chest comes a flask that held wine for the purpose of washing out wounds, a mortar for grinding medicines, a spatula for spreading ointment.

Touch a nearby screen to find a modern re-enactment of paste being mixed to put on a wound and a patient clenching his teeth in pain as wine is poured over an open injury.

War and its consequences cannot be viewed in the abstract. So you can't ignore the implications of the three "wildfire" darts that were salvaged from the wreck: these were spears whose wrappings of gunpowder and oil were guaranteed to unleash fiery havoc on the enemy.

The human dimension is always present. We even learn about the weekly rations for the crew. On Wednesday, a pound of biscuits, a gallon of beer, a quarter fish, two ounces of butter and four ounces of cheese. Why so much beer? There were problems in keeping drinking water fresh at sea.

And, of course, the wonders of forensic science play a role in bringing us face to face with an archer - the groove in a finger bone indicates his occupation - as well as the master carpenter, a ship's cook, and a master gunner, among others.

The same technology used by modern police to identify murder victims from their skeletons is employed to help us into a more intimate relationship with what we're viewing. For, after all, this astounding museum is dedicated to those who died on the Mary Rose all those centuries ago.

Surely the ship's dog - a whippet-terrier cross with strong jaws good for catching rats - must be part of that honour roll. His skeleton, found near the master carpenter's cabin, communicates its own special poignancy.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.